AR 2231: HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 4

MIDTERM REVIEWER

PRE-COLONIAL DEVELOPMENTS
EARLY DWELLINGS

LUNGIB/KWEBA
● The earliest cave dwellers in the
Philippines lived during the Pleistocene
period
● The Tabon Cave in Palawan is
considered as the oldest cave
periodically lived in by prehistoric people
○ A network of caves DAO HUT (Aetas)
● Early people lived in temporary ● Still a wooden A-frame
dwellings like caves ● More definite interior space compared to
● In these caves, they were able to discover the pinanahang
artifacts as evidence of people living in it ● Similar to the prehistoric dwellings in the
○ Manunggal Jar - sculpture of two west
human figures on a boat: a symbol
of journey to the afterlife,
repository of human remains
● Used natural landscapes as their
dwellings and house

ARBOREAL DWELLINGS / MANOBO TREE

HOUSE OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO
● Made use of plants and trees to serve as
the foundation for the dwellings
● Typical tree houses had two separate
abodes: the daytime abode was built on
the ground, while the smaller night abode
(alligang) was on the top of the tree
PINANAHANG / LEAN-TO (Negritos)
● Manobos and other tribes fit on the issues
● “The windscreen is designed to take away
of these tribes (defensive)
the adverse of effects of wind, besides
● Safe, clear view of their surroundings
giving shade from the sun” - Klassen,
2010
● Negritos one of the first dwellers in the
country; nomadic; depends on the
sustainability of the food supply; adapted
to the nomadic lifestyle
● A-frame wood frame, one side is one
cover of vegetative material
● Temporary
● Since nomadic, they can just keep the
parts then carry it to the next place BALANGAY (boathouse)
● Simple structure ● Approx. 25 meters in length
● Not fully covered ● Incorporated into sea transportation
● One-sided cover ● boat used by sea-faring communities
 ● Carry more than one family ○ One-room upper living unit
● Nomadic lifestyle ○ Steep roof
● Also known as the Butuan boat
● Considered as the first wooden watercraft Characterized by:
in Southeast Asia tracing back to 320 AD ● Stilts
● A type of plank boat adjoined by a carved- ● Common interior space (earlier versions)
out plank edged through pins and dowels;
wooden joints (no metallic hardware used) Materials
● Eventually there was an emergent need of ● Made of indigenous materials
permanency ● Nipa Palm leaves
● Brought about by the practice of ○ Most extensive palm in the world
agriculture ○ Roofing
○ Better in repelling water than
cogon
● Cogon
○ Di dali ma dunot
● Bamboo
○ Usually whole bamboo / tree
branches
○ Key structural element
○ 5 species used for commercial use
BAHAY KUBO ○ 2 Most preferable:
● “Nipa hut” ■ Kawayan Tinik
● Considered as the “origin” of Philippine ■ Kawayan Kiling
domestic architecture ○ lattice/grid
● The house is a common dwelling type in ○ Bamboo strips (floors)
the lowland and coastal areas during the ● Rattan
pre-Hispanic period ○ Joint system
● Not original “Filipino Architecture” ○ Wall covering
● Architecture in the Philippines > Filipino ○ Furniture
Architecture ● Bamboo strips / Palm leaves
● Austronesian influence (Western Pacific to ○ walls
present-day Indonesia; Indian Ocean)
● “Bahay“ means house in Tagalog; while VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE
“kubo” is from the Spanish “cubo” - Something produced from indigenous
meaning cube, resembling the shape of processes
the main house - There is no sophisticated equipment used
● Referenced as “Vernacular Architecture” in construction
● People who made it are self-trained - People who made it are self-trained
- Output made out of need

Structural: PARTS OF THE BAHAY KUBO

● Raised above the ground to protect the
dwellers from the dampness and humidity
of the earth
● Three distinct horizontal divisions:
○ Stilts / posts
■ Often covered or enclosed
with bamboo latticework to
serve as usable space
underneath the house for
house implements and
livestock
*in Diksyunaryong Biswal printout*
REGIONAL HOUSES IN THE PHILIPPINES
● Inspired by the Nipa Hut
● Design depends on the location and
climate of the region
● Devoid of partitions but was flexible when
it came to functions
 ● Fireplace - soot in ceiling

SAGADA HOUSE
● Known as “tinokbob house”
● Directly built on ground IFUGAO HOUSE
● Igorots ● Or also called as “bale/fale”
● One of the earlies house constructed in ● Bale/fale is not Filipino rooted term
Sagada ● Elevated square and windowless one-
● Ground space is used for eating, sleeping, room structure
cooking, and working ● Dominated by a high, heavy, pyramidal
● Elevated central structure is used as roof
granary only ● Enclosed to adapt the cold climate of the
● Windowless with a thick steep roof cordilleras
intended to withstand cold weather ● First pre-fabricated house
● known for its pyramid roof which ● Embedded to cultural and social
dominates the entire massign of the ● sign of socioeconomic status
dwelling
Hagabi
Three Main Components ● Wooden bench
1. Stone pavement/floor ● Sign of status
2. House cage; represented by the Agamang ● Wealthy people
3. Pyramidal roof
Exterior:
Site: ● Skulls of animals & people
● Cordillera regions is land-locked and ○ Trophies
mountainous ○ No. of skulls = social status\
● Cool climate
● Higher elevation Materials:
- Narra
Two parts: - Molave
● Main house
● Agamang
○ Storage for rice
○ Elevated to avoid the humidity of
the soil
○ Avoid vermins
Materials:
● Thatch (cogon)
● Wood

Structural:
● Roof
Structural:
○ Steep
● Framework is done using hand-hewn
○ Leave only a minimum wall surface
timber, mortised without nails or hardware
exposed to the elements
Ventilation
 ● Can be disassembled, moved, and raised ● These stood in rows on the steep terrain
again on a new site within a day of mountain and hill slopes, forming
● The thick and heavy roof covers its wall hamlet settlements; houses line up along
and exposes only the supporting posts the side of the road
● The roof and the floor are never supported ● Coastal houses served as temporary
by the same posts shelters for boats and fishing implements,
● prominent roof frame, dominant in the ● Because of the frequency of typhoons in
massing, sloping roof which indicated how the region, they had to keep it grounded
the design adapted to the tropical weather
especially in warding off rain in the surface ● Sustainable
of the roof ○ Local material
● Rat guards/halipan found on the stilts to ■ withstand extreme weather
prevent the vermins from climbing up conditions
● Lifted from the ground about 1.5 to 2.0 ○ Local context
meters by 4 posts (tukud) usually of hard ■ site and weather
wood such as narra. ● Durable
● The posts and girders (kuling) are ○ Withstand weather
connected together on tenon and mortise ● Adaptability
○ Grounded
Comparisons: ○ Depend on the season
● *ALSO present in Apayao House/Balai, it ■ fishing / agricultural
didn't just consider the rainwater runoff, ○ Thick walls and materials
but the ventilation as well. Ventilation at ■ Cooler summer, warmer
the top part of the roof through a louvered during the colder months
opening and its walls were removable to ● Basement
make the room more flexible and to allow ○ Not really a basement
natural ventilation in the interior as well* ● Made up of at least 2 separate buildings
● So in comparison to the Apayao House, ○ the main house
the Ifugao house is windowless, so the ○ the kitchen
walls dominate the form of the dwelling (a
design feature to counter the need of Chivuvuhung
insulation of the interior from the extreme ● Low houses where aboriginal Ivatans lived
cold which is prevalent in the Cordillera in ● made of wood, bamboo, and thatch.
Luzon)
Idajangs
Architectural Symbol of Wealth: ● Terraced & defended settlement on hill
● Carvings sa beam tops & ridges of batanes islands
● Size of the house

*maytuab ang nasa front, sinadumparan naa sa

likod
IVATAN HOUSE
● Ivatans of Batanes ● Traditional houses made of stone and
● Underwent a lot of changes throughout mortar were classified through their roof
history construction: sinadumparan (gabled roof)
and maytuab (hipped roof) made their
 appearance in the late 18th or 19th
century during the Spanish colonial period
● Mortar system used called the fango
mixture of crushed cogon leaves and mud;
adhesive to the stones
● countered the strong winds well but
earthquakes heavily damaged these
houses due to their rigid stone wall system
Two Major Archetypes:
● Wood & Thatch (WT)
○ Uses thatch
○ Wood planks & studs, reeds of
combination of these
○ Usually smaller & built with less
height
○ Used as sotrage or kitchen areas
● Limestone-Wood & Thatch (LSWT)
○ Uses stones of different sizes
○ Boulders, gravels, volcanic basalt,
metamorphic stones
○ Stones are piled & bounded
together by applying lime mortar
○ The building system allows for a
larger floor area & a two-storey
frame
Other types of Ivatan Thatch House:
● Kamadid
○ Enclosing’s lower portion built of
wood
○ Upper portion is built of cogon
grass
○ Thick hip type cogon roof
● Rahaung
○ Used as working area
○ Storage for fishing implements
○ Does not have any wall enclosure
○ Exposed posts that support the
roof and the thick gable cogon
roof, either with or without gable
wall (made from cogon and reeds)
Evolve:
● Jinjin
○ Pre-colonial
○ Wood & thatch (WT)
○ Smaller, less height
○ Timber
○ Mostly used as kitchen or storage
○ Seasonal shelter in fishing villages
○ has walls made of cogon grass
tied to wall studs
○ The name “Jinjin” refer to the wall
constructions made of cogon grass
tied to wall studs
● Sinadumparan
○ Colonial era
○ Limestone-wood & thatch (LSWT)
○ Stones
○ Lime mortar; fambo (crushed coral,
sand, and water)
○ Mortar (cogon and mud); fiber
○ Larger floor area; 2-stories
○ Shelter for domesticated animals
during typhoons
○ Vary in size & height
Structural:
If used as main house or living quarters
● Larger & taller
● Lower level
○ have a higher ceiling to
accommodate household
belongings
● Upper & lower levels
○ divided by a wooden floor
anchored to the wall by a system
of girders & joists resting on
several pieces of corbel stones
● Floor
○ Made of wood planks
○ Joined together by wooden dowels
● Door & Window openings
○ Identical in width & height
If used as kitchen
● Sinadumparan (smaller version of the
main house)
○ has smaller windows measuring
only about half of the height of the
door
○ has few noticeable alterations
● Lower level
○ Only about a meter high
○ Intended mainly as a shelter for
small animals such as dogs &
fowls
● Kitchen
○ Most distinguishable features
○ Very low platform serving as a
built-in stove called raputan
 ○ Cold (attach walls)
● Floor mats (washable and removable) are
placed above the floor to permit natural
ventilation
● Single-room structures encompass
different functions
● Has a high-pitched thatch roof (resembles
a pointed barrel vault) and utilizes stilts to
elevate the structure
KALINGA HOUSE
● The furoy is the traditional house of the
Materials:
Kalingas in the northern Cordillera region
● Bamboo
of Luzon
● Wood
● elevated, rectangular, one-room house of
● Thatched leaves (cogon / nipa)
timber materials
● Sawali (woven bamboo)
● Removable wall panel for ventilation
● Sago palm (woven flooring)
● bamboo - rendered linear patterns on the
roof
Structural
● Supported by 15 wooden piles, connected
Structural:
by the anaxdixiyan that also supports the
● not a flat roof; they were steep and the tip
floor beams called tapi
was pronounced as it was designed to
● Walls are constructed through fitting the
counter rainwater runoff
wooden panels vertically
● Elevated floor along the perimeter of the
● Roof was supported by the talabawan
wall can be used both for seating and
and patuna
sleeping purposes
● To prevent tadawag from moving, irat is
● Construction dominated by bamboo
tied to the rafter
instead of cogon/thatch sa roofing
● Thick roofing made with 8-10 layers of cut
bamboo laid one over the other as roofing

BADJAO HOUSE
● Windowless, one-room
● Light materials
● Thatch roof
APAYAO HOUSE ● “Orang selat” - live on the ground
● Cordillera region ● “Orang laut” - live on water
● “Fast-flowing river” ● Living on lepa-lepa (boats)
● Influenced by boat-building tradition ● Built separatesly in a staggered pattern
● Unique: opening / smoke exhaust but connected to the neighborhood
(louvered opening) jambatan (footbridge) and own taytayan
● Elevated, rectangular one-room structure (catwalk) and to the waters by harunan
● Flexible (detachable) (ladder)
● Moveable wood panels (windows &
ventilation) Badjao
● Climate context ● Nomadic indigenous people
○ Hot (remove walls) ● “Sea gypsies” / “sea dweller
 ● Hunter-gatherers ● Clustered in groups by kinship
● Southeast asia ○ 100-500 members per group
○ PH: Sulu, Celebes Sea, Tawi- ● Samal boats:
Tawi, Basilan, regions of ○ Kumpit
Zamboanga del Sur ○ Pelang
○ Malaysia: Sabag ● Coastal areas of Southern Mindanao,
○ Indonesia: Sulawesi & Kalimantan Palawan, Zamboanga, and Sulu
● Small civilization (hunter-gatherers) archipelago
● Stateless (no nationality, no consistent ● Elevated rectangular one-room structures
infrastructure) ● Built on shallow water and connected to
● Collective life practices preserved & the shore by a pantan (bridge) or directly
survived built on solid ground
● Second largest ethnic group in Sulu after
Tausug Livelihood:
● Average Badjao hold their breath for up to ● Boat building
2 minutes at a time and dive as deep as ● Pearl diving
60 feet (18 meters) w/o losing focus/agility ● Mat-weaving
● See better underwater ● Pottery
● Fishing
Architectural Background ● Farming
● Collective initiative ● Logging
● Calamities (help each other) ● Hunting
● Contribute ot each other’s work
● Relationship with the sea Structural:
● Careful placement of the stilts ● 24 x 12 meters
● Adapted to their surroundings ● roof ridge of 9 meters above floor
○ Flexible ● traditional-elevated in water
○ Adapt to the elements ● Some have 2-storeys with balconies and a
● Move along the ocean/current common space
● Loosen the reigns ● Foundation: embed deeper sa sea (di ra
● Transfer when affected (typhoons) kusug current)
● Important spaces:
Types of dwellings ○ Silong
● Lepa - boat dwellings ○ Pantan
● Luma - on the seashore ● Coastal house has ample space
● Stilt houses underneath the house for the family’s
pelang (boat) and fishing paraphernalia
Q: Insulation?
- The people adapted to the Materials:
weather/climate ● Bamboo (flooring)
○ Lashing ties
○ Woven
● Nipa (roofing & wall)
○ resistant sa water
● Coconut (post and structural)

Q: Are all samal house in the water?

- Depends, if on water kay fishing
SAMAL HOUSE livelihood; if built on ground kay farming
● Samal / sama people livelihood
● “Sama-sama” ; togetherness / communal
● Affiliated with the nearest mosque

YAKAN HOUSE
● Sulu archipelago
● Third largest ethnic community in Sulu
Archipelago
● Known for their intricate and colorful
embroidery and weaving
● The lumah is the traditional house of the
Yakans in the mountainous region of
Basilan
● No partitions, flexible
● Elevated, rectangular, one-room structure
with few small windows and protected by
a high-pitch thatch roof
● had minimal openings except for a small
window not for insulation but for a
religious context where the small window
prevented evil spirits from going inside
● East-side
○ Dako ang space sa mga laki kay
mas maka outlive daw ang laki sa
wife *bombastic side eye, criminal
offensive side eye*
● Tree-trunks
○ No entwined vines (di mo attract
ug snakes)
Four parts:
1. Kokan - sleeping area; Tindakan - multi-
use living space
2. Pantan or Simpey - porch
3. Kosina - kitchen/dining area; by a 0.25
meter by 0.25 meter patung (wooden
flitch)
4. Angkap - mezzanine (optional; sleeping
area for young girls)
● No. of steps dapat odd; odd (life), even
(death)
Structural:
● Traditional Yakan house is 50-100 sqm
rectangular house
● Elevated on timber posts 2-3 meters
above the ground
● Steep roof and small windows
● Mainly built to protects the yakan people
from invaders, wild animals, and weather
of the mountainous region of Basilan
● Place to store goods and craft weaves
● Traditionally built scattered among the
fields or clustered around the langgal
(mosque)
● Often used from 10-15 years then will be
dismantled, rebuilt, or built using new
materials besides the previous site
Materials:
● Thatch
○ Insulation
○ Available material
● Enclosed space
○ Spiritual belief
○ Open space attract bad spirits
● Roof shape (sapyaw)
○ Direct the wind flow
TAUSUG HOUSE
● Farming, fishing, and trading
● Largest ethnic group
● Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Palawan
● “Tao” “current”
● “People of the Tide” / “Suluk”
● Commoners
● Comprised of two or more houses on stilts
that are connected by an elevated open
space serving as house extensions
● Bay sinug is the traditional house of the
Tausugs of Southern Philippines and is an
example of Muslim architecture
● Comprised of 2 or more houses on tilts
connected by an elevated open space
serving as house extensions
● Sungan triangular vertical opening on the
roof (aid in the ventilation)
Settlements vary according to their role in the 5. North post - liug (neck)
community: 6. South post - hita (groin)
● Tao Gimba: in land; interior farmers
● Tao Higad: in shore; shore dwellers All the 8 noncenter posts support the roof, which
is given form by the ridge beam and is made
● Adakanon (?) from:
○ Lowland ● Sari
● Buybahanon ● Nipa
○ Highland ● Sago palm
● Plaid (coconut palms from the marang
Tajuk Pasung tree)
● Decoration (ward off evil forces)
● Structural
● Bargeboard-end decoration
○ Manuk-manuk
■ Sarimanok
■ Farming
■ Related to the Muslim
culture
○ Naga Roof
■ Sea serpent ● Sungan roof
■ Fishing ○ Triangular vents
■ Naa sad sa Maranao ○ Hipped roof
arcitecture ○ Low-land
● Evolved from curved roofing to more ● Tibut roof
straight ○ Vent at the apex
○ Pyramidal roof
Materials ○ Mountain region
● Bamboo (walls & flooring/ lantay)
● Nipa (resistant for rain)
● Lumbar

Construction Method:
1. Tying
2. Using the traditional bamboo joinery
method for the walls
3. The Nipa palm fronds are sewn together
and tied to bamboo roof rafters
4. Bamboo is then tied to one another using
TOROGAN OF THE MARANAOS
uway or rattan strips
● Distinct dwelling in Mindanao
● Maranaos - people of the lake, were big in
Bahay Silok
terms of population in Mindanao
● House = human body
● One of the three types of houses of the
● 9 posts symbolize 9 parts of the body
Maranaos
(strong body = strong foundation);
● the torogan spoke a lot about the users of
durability of the house
the house itself
1. Center post - pipul (navel)
● House for the elite; connected to the
2. Southeast and Southwest corners
family of the datu
- pigi (hip)
● served as a status symbol in the Maranao
3. Northeast and Northwest corners -
community
agata (shoulder)
● Ornately decorated ancestral residence of
4. Eastern and Western sides of the
the datu and his extended family
center post - gusuk (ribs)
 ● Prominent/distinct shape of the roof
Other types of Maranao houses:
● Lawig (small house)
● Mala-a-walai (large house)
● Exterior ornaments: Wood carvings “okir”
associated with the Muslim communities
in Mindanao; its like vegetative and floral
motifs, spiral patterns
ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE IN THE
PHILIPPINES
ISLAMIC INFLUENCE IN THE PHILIPPINES
● Islam brought to the Philippines the
Muslim trade routes in Southeast Asia
then later on, Spanish colonization brining
Ibero-Islamic culture or “Mudejar”
influence (Moorish influence)
● Influence of Islam was through trading
with the locals rather than colonization
● trade routes were responsible for bringing
islamic influences
● Alhambra Palace : Islamic architecture
was applied in a non-religious building
(decorative patterns from the Quran like
Arabesque decorations)
● The earliest evidence of Muslim presence
in Sulu is evidenced by the tomb of Tahun
Maqbalu, who died in 710 AD
● Spread of Islam through the conversion of
community leaders and people’s attraction
to the aesthetic allure of the religion
(NOTE: once the chieftains converted
religions, they imposed it on their
followers) and people’s attraction to the
aesthetic allure of the religion
Two types of traditional structures used by
Filipino Muslims for worships:
1. Langgal (Tausug or Yakan) for small
group of worshippers in rural areas; “to
meet”
2. Masjid (or mosque) - for larger groups; “to
prostrate”
● Oldest mosque or masjid in the
Philippines was built in the 1380 in Tubig,
Indanga, Simunul Islands, Tawi-Tawi:
Sheik Karimul Makdum Mosque
● Material made of wood like the framework,
simple structures made of indigenous
materials.
SHEIK KARIMUL MAKDUM MOSQUE
● has undergone multiple modifications and
reconstruction but its four huge wooden
posts of ipil with surfaces intricately
carved with okir reliefs, are believed to be
from the original mosque structure
Ornaments:
● before the use of the onion shaped
domes, minarets etc. there was a heavy
reliance on symbols
● make use of significant symbolism in order
to make your design relevant and
connected to the religion itself
● among the prevalent figures that were
found in the early mosque here in the
Philippines was the burak
 roofs, were usually familiar in the Chinese
pagodas)
● The regionally characteristic roof consists
of 3 ascending layers of flared pyramidical
roofs, separated by gaps to allow air and
light into the building
● Contextualized to tropical setting

Early mosques in the Philippines were of

BURAK multiple influences:
● Mythical winged creature with the body of ● Southwest Asian - religion
a horse and head of a human known to be ● Chinese - structure
sacred transports fo some prophets in ● Local context/identity - indigenous
islam materials
● Depicted as colorful motifs in Philippine
mosque architecture together with okir
carvings
● often found as a sculpture, sometimes in
relief ornamentation or as an illustration
on the walls

● The pagoda-like mosque on a square plan

in Taraka, Lanao del Sur

How did the Chinese influence insert itself in

the Islamic design of these buildings? The
OKIR
Chinese were mostly Buddhist.
● Popular Maranao art form applied in the
● The chinese influences in mosque design
sarimanok and panolong (end beam
may have been a result to close
desings of Marano buildings)
diplomatic ties between the Chinese Ming
● found on the top part of the stilts of a
dyansty and Muslim states in Southeast
Maranao Torogan; ornate extension of a
Asia
beam
● They had a rapport; a close relation
through trading
● a Filipino attribute/feature: presence of
openings/gaps that somewhat
contextualizes the local climate
● Ming dynasty was responsible of bringing
Islam in some parts of China
● this mosque is just second to the Sheik
Karimul Makdum in terms of being the
oldest mosques
MASJIDS
● early masjids didn’t come in massive
forms that looked regal
● multi-tiered bamboo or wooden structures
reminiscent of Chinese pagodas or
Javanese temples (sometimes 3-5 layers;
the layered roofing with flared pyramidal

DITASAAN-RAMAIN, LANAO DEL SUR
MOSQUE
● The mosque in Ditasaan-Ramain, Lanao
del Sur is regarded as the first built for the
Maranaos
● Filipino Muslims brought mental
snapshots of what they saw in their visits
to Mecca which were the very grand
looking mosques with the domes, slender
minarets, ornaments on top of the domes,
crescent and star symbolism
● they tried to follow those in constructing
the later mosques
● a newer mosque design emerged due to
the exposure of mosque designs abroad;
whatever they saw abroad, they tried to
duplicate here in the Philippines
● “Here we can trace at which part of
history/the reasons why these types of
Islamic architecture which were prevalent
in Southwest Asia eventually reached
Southeast Asia” (<- sir’s exact words btw)
● In Mainland Mindanao, the construction of
the first mosque was estimated to be in
1515; Islam proliferated in the areas of the
Maranao through marriage alliances
● The onion-shaped dome on squinches in
later mosques emerged due to exposure
of mosque designs abroad
SPANISH COLONIAL ERA IN THE
PHILIPPINES
PHILIPPINES’ FIRST CONTACT WITH SPAIN
● Philippines was colonized by 3 countries:
○ Spanish
○ Americans
○ Japanese
● First contact with Spain was through
Ferdinand Magellan in 1521
● Magellan’s contact here in Cebu didn’t
signal a significant development in terms
of Urban Planning or even in architecture
because he lost against Lapu Lapu here in
Mactan, Cebu
● It was Miguel Lopez de Legaspi who
made a difference
● Succeeding expeditions ,, intentions to
converting Philippines into a spanish
colony
● Miguel Lopez de Legazpi reached Samar,
Leyte then Cebu in 1565: Legaspi set up
the first Spanish settlement in Cebu
● He established relations with the people
under Raja Sulayman, the ruler of manila
at that time
● Establishment of the settlement in Manila
in 1572; start of city planning and
urbanization.
● Intramuros: established by Legaspi in
Manila to signal the presence of the
Spanish colonial administration
PHILIPPINES’ URBAN TRANSFORMATION
Reduccion System
● forced scattered barangays into more
compact and larger communities to
facilitate religious conversion and and
cultural change; people lived within the
concept of the “ bajo dela compana”
● People were scattered in the mountainous
and coastal areas
● Easier to monitor in a more defined space
in certain islands
● it was easier for the Spaniards to attain
one of their missions in colonizing the
Philippines, which was to convert people
to Christianity
● start of the establishment of more
manageable land areas; this helped
 transform/establish an urban identity
worthy of a Spanish colony
“Bojo dela compana”
● meaning “under the sound of the church
bells”
● The communities or barangays were
organized around a church which had a
belltower which would sound off if its time
to go to mass or sound off there’s a threat
● *kung asa kutob madunggan ang bell ara
kutob ang barangay*
● example: The Parish of St. Joseph, its
covering a few barangays
Encomienda System
● Promoted the concept of land as private
property and land was divided into parcels
and assigned a Spanish colonis, who was
mandated to allocate, allot or distribute
resources of the domain
● Concept of land as a private property
● Paved the way to forced labor where
locasl living in a parcel of land under a
Spanish official, paid tribute through labor
● Basically: working under a Spanish official
in exchange of using the land as a
dwelling; more defined divisions
Old Map of Downtown Cebu
Cabacera (head) or Poblacion
● core of a municipality
● Institution of a hierarchical system in
settlements
● Barrios (adjacent barangays)
● Where the elite resided and the people
pay tributes
● Not necessarily located in the center
● Where the important civic buildings are
found
Plaza
● An open space where the church was in
close proximity
● Governor’s house was prominent (even
the boats that would pass by would see
the area where the governor’s and the
elites’ houses were lined up
Old Map of Intramuros by Miguel Lopez
Cuadricula Model
● This model of planning of towns was
structured in a hierarchical way
● The central plaza was a focal point and
the location of the seat of power
● The laying out of areas in a city/town was
more organized
● Public space or plaza, open spaces
● Areas surrounding the plaza are
subdivided to square and rectangular
blocks
● Grid type, traces of roman planning, main
roads to converge sa forum (open space)
● Planning of cities followed the Ordinances
of 1573 entitled “Prescriptions for the
Foundations of Hispanic Colonial Towns”
“Prescriptions for the Foundations of
Hispanic Colonial Towns”
● The guideline for the layout of cities and
towns, not just in the Philippines but in all
Spanish colonies (Latin America, Central
America, etc.)

Manila Cathedral, Plaza Roma in Intramuros
● New building typologies and construction
technology were introduced through
infrastructure projects, as new activities
indicated a more active urban life
● also brought in new knowledge in design
and construction
● Buildings carried functional and formal
analogies (e.g. church for worship)
● Studier building materials using new
methodologies of construction expressed
material superiority
● spoke about the intentions of the Spanish
colonizers; they were here to colonize and
subjugate the Filipinos under their
administration
● it wasn’t directly aggressive, they first
introduced Christianity, and better
construction materials & methodologies
which made it eventually easier for them
to subjugate the locals under their rule
● succeeded in colonizing the Philippines by
first introducing urban planning and better
construction methods in architecture
● *The locals abi nila friends ang spaniards
kay ga tudlo anang new methods of
construction na sturdy, but again naay
hidden agenda lolsz*
SPANISH COLONIAL TOWN PLANNING AND
THE LAW OF THE INDIES
LAW OF THE INDIES
● Spanish town planning
● Principles and practices on urban design
and planning employed by Spanish
colonizers
● Regulated in the Philippines in 1573
● Grid-like pattern centered on a central
plaza known as the zocalo or plaza
mayor
● Ease of movement
● Security and protection
● Resembles Greek layout
Rules and Regulations
1. Grid Pattern Layout
● Facilitates the efficient
administration of the town
● Provide clear visual and social
hierarchy
● Central plaza was the heart of the
town, with the most important
public buildings (church)
2. Street Width and Orientation
● Wide enough for two carts to pass
each other
● Orientation may take advantage of
prevailing winds and sun patterns
3. Building Materials
● Durability of construction materials
such as brick to withstand natural
disasters
4. Public Spaces
● Requires each twon to have a
plaza or public space for markets,
festivals, and other community
gatherings
● Located near the plaza are
churches and town halls
5. Water Supply and Sanitation
● Reliability of the source of water
and a system for disposing of
waste and sewage
● Protects the public health
 ● Outline is in an irregular shape, following
the contours of Manila Bay and the
curvature of the Pasig River
● 2.4 m thick stones and high walls that rise
to 6.7 m.
● The moat surrounds the perimeter and
outer walls that face the city
● Entrance to the city is through 8 gates:
1. Puerta Almacenes
Plan of the Walled City of Manila / Intramuros 2. Puerta de la Aduana
3. Puerta de Santo Domingo
4. Puerta Isabel II
5. Puerta del Parian
6. Puerta Real
7. Puerta Sta. Lucia
8. Puerta del Postigo

FORT SANTIAGO
● National Historical Landmark in 1951
● A citadel at the mouth of Pasig river
Plan of Intramuros guarding the whole city
● Built by Spaniards in 1572 to protect the
city of Manila from attack
● Used as a military base and prison during
Spanish colonial period
● Used as a prison during the American
occupation and World War 2

INTRAMUROS: THE WALLED CITY

● Intramuros is Spanish for “within the walls”
● Called as the walled city which has a
0.67 sq km historic walled area within the
modern City of Manila
● Became the seat of government and
political power
● Center fore religion, education,and Plan of Fort Santiago
economy
● Protection from foreign invasions
● Zoning: residential & institutional
● Transport of goods through the Pasig
River
● Balwarte
○ Projecting from the walls
○ Defensive walls
● Extramuros means “outside the walls”;
other towns and arrables (suburbs)
beyond its walls Plaza Moriones

CITY WALLS
● Estimated 3-5 kilometers in length
Plaza Moriones
 ● Public square located in front of the
entrance to Fort Santiago
● One of the three major plazas in
Intramuros
Most Prominent Churches in Intramuros
CASA MANILA (Barrio San Luis)
● Barrio San Luis was envisioned to serve
as a template for new property
developments
● Completed with nine houses reflecting
architecture of Spanish Colonial Era
● First three houses in Barrio San Luis (now
Plaza San Luis)
○ Casa Manila
○ Casa El Hogar
○ Casa Urdaneta

SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH

● First and oldest church built in Luzon
during the Spanish era
● UNESCO Heritage Site
● One of the Baroque churches in the
Philippines

PLAZA ROMA (Plaza Mayor)

● The principal public square of Intramuros
● Present name “Plaza Roma” was given in
1960 in honor of the College Cardinals in
Rome

BALUERTE DE SAN DIEGO

● The bastion is a protruding structure with
facing flanks built along the cortina
(curtain walls).
● The purpose of its projection was to
MANILA CATHEDRAL ensure a clearer view of the cortina for the
● Serves both as the Prime Basilica of the artillery - in order for them to prepare
Philippines and the highest seat of the against invaders.
archbishop in the country
● Located in the heart of Intramuros
● One of the oldest and most famous
churches in Asia
● Neo-Romanesque-Byzantine cathedral

SURROUNDING BUILDINGS
Government buildings:
PALACIO DEL GOBERNADOR (Palace)
● The official residence and office of the Cebu’s Layout during the Spanish Period
Spanish governor generals during the
Spanish colonial period
● Served as a shelter for civilians during the
World War 2

PLAZA PARIAN, CEBU (Plaza Mayor)

AYUNTAMIENTO DE MANILA (City Hall)
● Also known as “Casas Consistoriales”
● Seat of the Manila City Council
● Nicknamed as the Marble Palace
● Consisted of two alcaldes(two leaders),
eight oidores(judges), a clerk, and a chief
constable
● Used as the office of the American military
governor
● Played a significant role in the city’s
development as a commercial center
● The hub of trade and commerce
● Center of the city’s economic activities
● Main market area in Cebu
● Area around the plaza was densely
populated, with many of the city’s
residents living in the surrounding streets
and alleys
● An important center of cultural exchange
● Surrounded by government buildings,
residential, churches

ADUANA BUILDING
● housed several government offices
through the years. And designated for
payment of customs and duties and where
vessels are entered and cleared.

SPANISH PERIOD LAYOUT OF CEBU CITY

● Based on the principles of the Laws of the
Indies
AYUNTAMIENTO DE CEBU
● Built around a central plaza called the
● Located in the northern side of the plaza
Plaza Mayor
● Seat of local government
● The streets were arranged in a grid
● Made up of several officials, including the
pattern, with each block measuring
governor, the alcaldes, and the regidors
approx. 60 x 60 meters
● Responsible for ensuring that the city
● One of the notable features of the town’s
remained well-governed, safe, and
layout was the presence of a wall that
prosperous, and that the needs of the
surrounded the town (safe from invaders)
city’s residents were met
● Size of the lot = socioeconomic status
 Commercial buildings:

CASA REAL
● Built near the Plaza Mayor
● Served as the official residence of the
Spanish Governor and his family
PARIAN MARKET
● Serve as the center of Spanish colonial
● Located in the Parian district, a
power in Cebu
designated area for Chinese traders
● Served as a center of culture and
● Established in the mid-16th century to
entertainment
serve as a hub for the trade of goods
● “Malacanang” at that time
between the Chinese and Spanish
● Has balconies where the governor would
communities in Cebu
hold speeches to the public
● An important economic center; contributed
● Office of the Spanish Governor and
to the growth of the city’s economy and
treasury
helped to establish Cebu as a significant
trading center in the region
SURROUNDING BUILDINGS
● Considered as a significant cultural center
Religious buildings:
(goods and ideas)
● Trading of silk and luxury items
● Trade textiles, agricultural products
● Control center

Residential Buildings:

PARIAN MARKET
● Typically located near the center of the
city, around the Plaza Mayor
● Serves as homes for the Filipino
BASILICA DEL SANTO NINO CATHEDRAL
population and were typically made of
● Located on the eastern side of the plaza
bamboo or wood with thatched roods
● First Catholic church built in the
● Were also subject to the regulations of the
Philippines
Laws of the Indies, which provided
● Considered as the oldest Roman Catholic
guidelines for the design and layout of
church in the Philippines
colonial towns and cities
● Served as the center of the town’s
religious activities
● San Juan de Letran - Spanish residential
● Used as a symbol of Spanish colonial
area
power and influence
● Parian - Chinese residential area (outside
● Baroque style
the wall)
● Where the image of the Sto. Nino was
found
BARRIOS DE INDIOS
● Center of education and charity
*idk unsa ni, residential guro sa Filipino
● Where the officials attend religious
population*
activities
Q: Ngano dapat enclosed ang walls? ○ Not sustained long-term due to the
A: lesser population *na insignificant,
● prone to natural hazards flop era nila*
● Protect the city from foreign invasion ○ The Japanese at that time were
self-isolating so they didn’t explore
Note: and trade outside their country
● The Spanish architecture gave a sense of ○ Present-day Paco, Manila
home for the Spaniards staying in the ○ Controlled population
Philippines long-term ○ Christian Japanese refugees

Q: Unsay naa sa Intramuros na dapat e
protect?
A:
● Near sa waterfront (Pasig River & Manila
Bay); for trading and protection
● Important buildings like administration
buildings of the Spanial Colonial
Government is located in Intramuros
(Ayuntamiento)
Sir Karl’s discussions:
Q: Is it exclusive to the Spaniards?
A:
● There’s a separation of the Spaniards and
Indios (Filipinos) in the Laws of the Indies
● Spaniards usually in Intramuros are
families of officials, officials; basically the
elite
● Off-limits to the locals
● Locals are only allowed inside if they’re
staff (stay daytime then after their duty
they go home)
EXTRAMUROS
● Outside Intramuros
Divided into districts:
● Parian
○ Chinese district
○ Chinese merchants & community /
Sangley
○ Present-day Malate, Santa Cruz
○ The Chinese population grew and
became a threat to the Spaniards
○ As their population grew, they
spread to Binondo (Isla de
Binondo)
● Dilao
○ Japanese district
○ Japanese residents
● The districts were not too far from
Intramuros
● At the range of the canons
PLAZA INDEPENDENCIA
● Then called as “Plaza de Armas”
● Military training ground since its beside
Fort San Pedro
● Role of the plaza as the foreground of the
architecture, setbacks, not just for safety
but also enhanced the architecture that
you introduce to the site
● was a smaller area near the port, first
purpose was to serve as the embarking
area for the artillery. Purpose as well for
military training. Eventually evolved for
recreation. Meant to enhance the frontage
of the area
CASA DE GOBERNADOR
● Located in front of Plaza Independencia
● Seat of the governor before naa ang
Capitol
● Enhanced not only by the roads but
through the sea. Stands very imposing
from different angles
CAMPANIA MARITIMA
● Hotel
ADVANA
● Present-day Malacanang of the South
EXTRA NOTES:
● Choice of the site is because of the water
feature
● Settlement based on provision of the
books of Vitruvius. Book 1, people who
find an appropriate of settlement, must be
close to a water area
● Law of the indies may have also based
itself on the ten books of Vitruvius,
 especially the quadricula. To avoid the
harmful winds.
BAROQUE ARCHITECTURE IN THE
PHILIPPINES
Origins:
● Emerged during the Spanish Colonial
period (1565) with the arrival of Miguel
Lopez de Legazpi
● European architectural style popular
during the 16th and 17th centuries
Characterized by:
● Grandeur
● Drama
● Ornate decorations
● Used for religious and secular buildings
such as churches, palaces, and theaters
Philippines context
● Adapted to local conditions, materials, and
cultural traditions
● Resulted in the unique blend of European
and Philippine design elements
● Many Baroque-style churches, convents,
and other buildings were constructed
throughout the Philippines (Manila, Cebu,
and Iloilo)
● The buildings reflect the religious and
political power of the Spanish colonial
authorities
● Served as important cultural and artistic
centers for local communities
● Despite the damage caused by
earthquakes, fires, and wars over the
years, many examples of Baroque
architecture survived to this day, providing
a testament to the rich history and cultural
heritage of the country
Baroque architecture
● Baroque came from the French word
“barroque” which translates to irregularly
shaped - commonly used term to describe
pearls with irregular shape
● Stylized classical greek architecture
● A highly lavish style of architecture, design
and arts.
● Originated in Italy in the late 16th century
and spread to the rest of Europe and
reached the US.
● Characterized by extremely detailed form,
marble, large-scale decoration and bright
color making it a theatrical style of
architecture.
Noticeable Baroque elements:
● Frescoes
● Trompe l’oeil
● Large domes and cupolas
● Elaborate motifs and decoration
● Gilded sculpture on the exterior and
interior
Baroque Churches in the Philippines
● Churches in the Philippines evolve into
monumental structure constructed of
stone incorporating European style with
indigenous influences.
● fusion of European Church design,
construction using local materials and
local motifs are used to create a new
church-building tradition.
Spaces in the Church:
● Nave
○ longitudinal space of the
congregation
● Narthex or vestibule
○ preparatory space where
worshippers crossed themselves
with holy water
● Sanctuary or presbytery
○ where the priest conduct the mass
at the other end of the nave
opposite to the narthex
● Colonial churches have two focal
points:
○ Alter mayor (main altar) = far end
of the sanctuary where the
Eucharist is celebrated and the
 consecrated host in the Sagrario
(tabernacle).
○ Tabernacle is the liturgical
furnishing that houses the
Eucharist outside of mass.
● Pulpito (pulpit)
○ an elevated structure usually made
out of wood often placed at the
nave or at the intersection of the
nave at the transept or crucero SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH (Intramuros, Manila)
● Also known as the “Immaculate
EARTHQUAKE BAROQUE Conception Parish”
● An architectural style used to refer to ● Located in Intramuros, Manila
massive Filipino churches with thick walls ● Hailed as “The Mother of All Philippine
and Baroque style elements Colonial Churches”
● Considered as the Philippines’ first
Elements: earthquake-proof building
● Scrolled buttresses ● Known as the oldest church made of
● Volutes stones in the Philippines
● Facade with Pilasters ● Recognized by the UNESCO World
● Ornamental urns Heritage Site
● Rebuilt three times due to man-made and
Other important part of Colonial church: natural disasters
● Retablo ● Unlike Paoay and Sta. Maria, San Agustin
○ richly decorated framework behind does not have external buttresses. The
the altar earthquake-proof system are its internal
● Refectoryo buttresses (that form the side chapels
○ dining hall in monastery or convent inside) and barrel vaults.
● Klostro (cloister)
○ covered passage surrounding a
courtyard usually with colonnade
or arcane to the side adjacent to
the court
● Simboryo (church dome)
○ imposing curve roof structure
above the altar built to proclaim the
presence of the church
● Relyebe
○ embossed, carved cultural design
History:
● It was first constructed with bamboo and
nipa in the year 1571. Officially named as
the Iglesia Y Convento de San Pablo
which was under the patronage of the
Augustinian order .
● In 1574 Chinese Pirate, Limahong
invaded Manila. The invasion burned the
city and the church which led the first
Notable Examples of Baroque Churches in the
reconstruction of the church.
Philippines
● In 1583, the second church burned down
since it was still made out of wood, which
means it still remains vulnerable to fire.
● The second reconstruction happened, this
time the church’s building material is
made out of adobe stone (dried mud
brick).
● In 1586, Juan Macias was assigned to
lead the design and construction of the
church.
● It was only in 1607 that the declaration of
its official completion was made.
● In 1762, during the Seven Year’s War,
British forces looted the church.
● Strong earthquake from 1880 damaged Baroque Features:
the church leaving a huge crack on the ● Broad nave and interior, serves as a shell
church's left bell tower. for the frescos and trompe l’oeil paintings.
● In 1898, the church became a venue for ● Highly decorated arches and pillars with
American and Spaniards to discuss and elements from the classical Greek column
sign the surrender of Manila to the and an imitation of the Corinthian column
Americans. can be seen on the pillar
● Ornamental lighting like chandelier that
posses elegant and highly detailed
designs.

● In 1945, during the Battle of Manila, the

San Agustin Church remained one of the ● Frescoes
standing churches after the war. ● Highly ornamented and intricately carved
● After the war, the church also became the wooden doors
host of the First Philippine Plenary ● Carvings
Council. ● Cherubs supporting the lectern column
● In 1976, the government recognized the
church as a National Historical Landmark
for its contribution to the country’s
nationhood.
● In 1993, the San Agustin Church was
named by UNESCO as a World Heritage
Site.

PAOAY CHURCH (Paoay, Ilocos Norte)

● The church is also known as Saint
Augustine Church / San Agustin
Church
● It is a Roman Catholic church located in
Paoay, Ilocos Norte province.
● Regarded as the most outstanding
example of the Earthquake Baroque
architectural style.
 ● The church is famous for an architecture
that blends Baroque, Gothic, Chinese,
and Javanese with a massive pediment
and complementary bell tower standing
imposingly on an expansive plain.

Materials:
● made mainly of large coral stones.
● Other ingredients were also added to the
Baroque Features (Exterior):
mortar to further ensure that the church
● Pyramid-like structure
stood against calamities.
● Mixed design façade
● These ingredients include leather straps
● 24 giant buttresses flanking its sides,
and stucco made from sand, lime,
which earned the moniker “earthquake
sugarcane juice boiled with mango leaves
baroque”
and rice straw.
● walls made of large coral stones
● stone façade
● bell tower

Paoay Bell Tower

● intended to be erected away from the
church to reduce damage in case it falls.
● served as a status symbol for the locals -
the bell would ring more loudly and more
times during the wedding of a prominent
clan than it would during the wedding of
the less privileged.
● It was also used as a Filipino watchtower
during the 1898 uprising against the
Spaniards.
Baroque Features (Interior):
● Plain ornament designs
● Altar and retablo are of a plain design
compared to others
● Saint Augustine as the main centerpiece
● Flooring

History:
● 1593 - Founded by Augustinian
missionaries
● Construction spread over a century
beginning in 1694:
○ foundation of the church was laid
in 1704,
○ the convent in 1707,
○ and the bell tower in 1793
● In 1896, it was finally inaugurated. But in
the latter, in 1706 and 1927, parts of the
church were destroyed by earthquakes.
● In 1993, Classified a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, under “Baroque Churches MIAGAO CHURCH (Miagao, Iloilo)
of the Philippines” ● Commonly referred to as “The Church of
Santo Tomas de Villanueva” / Santo
Tomas de Villanueva Church
 ● It is situated on the highest point of the ● The façade features strong horizontal and
coastal town of Miagao, Iloilo. vertical lines emphasized by the use of
● The stone church of Miagao was built to raised borders and moldings.
resemble a fortress as a protection
against enemy raids and incursions
● Uses adobe, egg, coral, limestone and
terracotta tiles
● It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and
is considered as one of the best
examples of Baroque architecture in the
Philippines.
● is a squatty church (similar to most Latin
American churches) in the Visayan region.
Due to the threats of Moro pirates in the
Visayas, the church was built in a way that Baroque Features (Interior):
it became the town's stronghold during ● Altar and gilded retablo
uprisings. Thus, it is recognized as the ● Carved colonnettes of the retablo and the
finest example of "fortress baroque" acanthus foliage draping its sides
architecture. ● Use of religious symbols and iconography
● Use of light and shadow
History:
● 1580 - The Church was established during
the Spanish colonization
● 1730 - became a separated parish under
the Augustinian Order dedicated to Saint
Thomas of Villanova. A covenant was
later built near the church.
● 1787 - The new church was built by
laborers conscripted by the Spanish.
Construction took 10 years to finish.

SANTA MARIA CHURCH (Santa Maria, Ilocos

Sur)
Baroque Features (Exterior):
● Sculptures and Ornaments
○ Palm tree symbolizing the “Tree of
life”
○ Saint Christopher carrying the child
Jesus on his back
○ Bas-relief of St. Thomas Villanov
○ St. Henry of Bavaria and Pope
PIus VI
● Features massive buttresses
● Uneven Belfries with buttressed structures
● also called The Church of the Lady
Assumption (Church of Nuestra Senora
de la Asuncion) / Nuestra Senora de la
Asuncion Church
● Located in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur
● one of the four Baroque churches of the
Philippines that is inscribed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
● Different from other Philippine Baroque
Churches in terms of location (elevated)
● The Santa Maria is a complex art of red
clay bricks and mortar.
● atop a fortified hill, serving as the town's
citadel.
● only baroque church in the Philippines that
is separated from the town plaza. Due to
 its falling walls, the World Monument Fund
designated the church as "One of the 100
Most Endangered Sites in the World" in
2010

History:
● 1765 - built by Augustinian friars
Baroque Features (Interior):
● 1810 - construction completed
● Nave: The church have a long,
● 1896 - the church played a significant role
rectangular space that is flanked by a
in the Philippine Revolution when it served
series of chapels along each side where
as a safe haven for Filipino
the main altar is located at the far end of
revolutionaries.
the space.
● The church was also used as a
watchtower during the Spanish colonial
period.
● 1974 - declared a National Historical
Landmark
● 1993 - inscribed on the UNESCO World
Heritage List as one of the four
Baroque Churches of the Philippines.
● 2015 - the church was declared as a
National Cultural Treasure by the
Philippine government.
● Today, the Santa Maria Church is a
popular tourist destination and a cultural
and historical landmark in the Philippines. ● The altar consists of a large statue of the
Virgin Mary surrounded by smaller statues
of saints.
● Intricate interiors: The walls are painted
white, with barreled ceilings and black
hanging chandeliers.
● Uses stained glass
● The insides of the church highlight a blue,
white and gold finish leading to the pillar
altars.

Baroque Features (Exterior):

● Uses "Earthquake Baroque"
● Architecture Features massive buttresses
and a sturdy bell tower Imposing bell
tower
● Stairway of 85 steps
● Façade: The church is tall and imposing,
● Frescoes on the ceiling of the church
and flanked by similarly huge and heavy
depicting the Holy Trinity
buttresses, albeit circular this time.

EXTRA NOTES:
● The church serve as citadels and
fortifications in addition to religious
institutions which are distinguished by
elements such as buttresses or
contrafuertes, bulky and elongated bodies
that do not rise very high, thick walls, and
separate bell towers
● The trompe l'oeil ceiling paintings were
made by two Italian painters in 1875.
Several conquistadores are also inferred
within the church (the founder of Manila
being in a chapel beside the altar
BAHAY NA BATO
● Architectural evolution from economic and
social developments
● Principalia, from traders to professionals
of highly educated illustrado, demanded
a new type of dwelling that is spacious,
durable, comfortable, noble, and elegant
History:
● Precolonial Philippine architecture is
based on the traditional stilt houses of the
Austronesian people of Southeast Asia
● The Spaniards introduced the idea of
building more permanent communities
with the church and government center as
focal points
● "Arquitectura mestiza", a term coined by
Jesuit Francisco Ignacio Alcina in 1668
used to refer to structures built partly of
wood and partly of stone.
○ Wood at the top
○ Stone at the bottom
● 1565 - The start of Spanish colonization of
the Philippines when Spanish explorer,
Miguel López de Legazpi arrived in the
Philippines and established a colony on
the island of Cebu.
● 1587 - Governor General Santiago de
Vera required all buildings in Manila to be
built of stone.
● 1645 - The ambitious plans of the
Spaniards were dashed in 1645 when a
terrible earthquake struck Manila.
● 19th Century - The 19th century was the
golden age of these houses, when
wealthy Filipinos built fine houses all over
the archipelago.
● World War 2 - Many houses were
destroyed by both the American and
Japanese forces.
Timeline:
● Balay A Bato Ken Kayo (Lozano)
● Bahay na Bato at Kahoy (Zialcita)
● Antillean (Noche)
● Arquitectura Mestiza Filipinas (Seva)
ARQUITECTURA MESTIZA
● Stone
○ Avoid fire
○ Bottom part of the house
● Wood
○ Avoid earthquake
○ Top part of the house
● Based from the experiences sa hazards
● In Manila, the Spanish leaders there
formulated the ordinance, to further
reinforce the reconstruction of the bahay
na bato. Making the wood posts thinner
and introduced wood bracing for the wood
framing construction, to make the building
more flexible
“Authetic Filipino”
● Fernando Nakpil-Zialcita’s argument
● repurposed the original Spanish
architectural design suiting the native
climate using the native architectural
idiom, to the construction system of the
bahay kubo.
● Took inspiration from the skeletal structure
of the local bahay kubo
Native Chieftain’s House
● Spacious element of an Antonio Morga’s
structure
 ● Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, "Events in
the Philippine Islands" a book written and
published by Antonio de Morga, based on
his own personal experiences
● This book impressed José Rizal that made
him annotate it and publish a new edition -
El Filibusterismo

● Mala-abanikong bintana
○ Half-circle window above
represents an open fan.

Houses of Spanish Residents

● Its a two-storey timber construction of
wooden posts and stone walls

● Bolada
○ Upper floor portion protrudes the
lower floor exterior

Similarities and Differences of Bahay Kubo

Convento and Bahay na Bato
● Existed before the Bahay na Bato

FILIPINO HOUSE
● 1st hybrid type of house built in
Intramuros, Manila
● “Bahay na bato”
● “Bahay na kahoy”
● “Filipino ancestral house”

Bahay na Bato Features:

● Before cement was introduced, egg

whites, mud, burnt shells and
limestones were used for holding up
bricks and solid rocks

● Bintanang Capis
○ A wooden framed checkerboard
windows with capiz translucent
shells pane
 2. Sala
● the living room where dances and
other special occasions are held
3. Cuatro
● the sleeping area
● also called as alcoba or
dormitorio
● Walls does not touch the ceiling for
ventilation; no privacy
4. Comedor
● the dining room
● Azotea - top of the rainwater
Parts of the Ground Floor: cistern
1. Zaguan
● Used for caruajes (carriages), saint
floats, and rice granaries
2. Quadra
● Used to house carriages (horse Distinctive Features
stables)
3. Bodega
● Used for storing old furniture and
palay bins
4. Entrasuelo
● A mezzanine where the valuables
are kept
● May also house offices or
additional dwelling units
5. Patio 1. Ventanillas
● An enclosed courtyard ● Small windows usually at lower
portion of the wall
2. Persiana
● Large windows with slates covered
with capiz to filter light: unique in
Southeast asia
3. Callado
● Open woodwork or tracery; fixed
over a window or placed as space
dividers
4. Banggera
● Storage/Washing area of pots and
kitchen utensils
5. Barandillas
Parts of the Second Floor:
● Railing or Ballustrade
1. Caida
6. Kisame
● a multipurpose room used for
● The overhead, often horizontal
dining, sewing, and dancing. It is
surface in a room either made of
separated by a callado (fretwork)
wood or metal
● Like a foyer
7. Kostilyahe
● “To fall”; where women at that
● One of the series of square or
time naug the trains of their skirts
rectangular lumbers to which the
since heavy and multi-layered
ceiling is fixed
● Common layout that the stairs lead
8. Artesonado
to the caida
 ● A coffered, carved, or highly
patterned wooden ceiling
9. Espeho
● A panel between the window
header and the eaves for exterior
wall and above the door jamb and
ceiling for interior partition
10. Escalera
● A ceremonial stairway to access
the second floor of the Bahay na
Bato
Plan of Bahay na Bato
● Had a rectangular plan that reflected
vernacular Austronesian Filipino traditional
houses integrated with Spanish style
Circulation
● Ground floor
○ Mostly storage
○ For carriages
Preserved Regional Examples
IVATAN HOUSE (Basco, Batanes)
● Construction & Materials:
○ LSWT or lime-stone-wood-and-
thatch construction that forms the
whole building.
○ Gravel, boulders, basalt and
metamorphic stones are used by
the community on land and coral
stones for those people whose
livelihood is by the sea.
○ Lime mortar, the stones are
stacked and secured building the
walls
○ Reef and cogon grass for the roof
○ With this building system, a two-
storey frame was constructed
having a wood floor separating
between levels.
● kayvayvanaan or kamanyiduan
○ literally means friendship in the
vernacular
○ cooperative system done to
construct and repair ivatan houses
CASA MANILA (Intramuros, Manila)
● The museum was designed to be an
accurate replica of a 19th-century
Philippine colonial-era house, and many of
the furnishings and decor are authentic to
the period.
● "showcases the lifestyle, culture, and
architecture of the Spanish colonial
period in the Philippines"
● Built using traditional materials and
techniques of 19th-century Philippine
colonial-era architecture. The building is
made of:
○ Adobe (a mixture of mud, sand,
and water)
○ Coral stone
○ Hardwood frame
○ Bamboo walls
○ Nipa palm leaves (roofing)
○ Hand-cut stone (flooring)
○ Clay tile (flooring)
YAP-SANDIEGO ANCESTRAL HOUSE (Cebu)
● “The first Chinese house built outside
of China”
● The 2-storey building compases both the
colonization of chinese and spaniards
 ○ 1st level- coral stone, glued in egg
whites
○ 2nd level-kamagong, mahogany,
molave and balayong wood
○ Roof- chinese influence of tisa,
clay red terracotta tiles
● Interior:
○ 1st level- a hall and a room
○ 2nd level- Wooden Staircase,
Bedroom - 4-poster ben and
wooden baby crib, Banggerahan
with its rack for drinking glasses
and cups, Couple more rooms,
Sitting space for a glimpse of the
garden
● Exterior:
○ Garden
○ A still functional old well
VEGA ANCESTRAL HOUSE (Balingasag,
Misamis Oriental)
● Known for its sculpted wooden Atlases
● “1st transition bahay na bato style”
● Building Materials:
○ Balayong and molave trees (main
material)
○ Large beams / pillars (support)
○ Cogon (roof)
● Parts and Spaces:
○ Ground Floor with three wide-open
sets of double doors
○ Baluster steps leading into a
landing separated by three indoor
windows
○ Large staircase leading into the
antesala to the double doors that
leads to the sala
○ Dining room and kitchen in the
second floor
○ Second floor doorway leading into
the 4 bedrooms, and on the left
side of the doorway
● Features:
○ There are three sculpted wooden
men that act as support structures
to the protruding second floor of
the house.
○ The support beams of the house
can also be observed that it is
decorated with the chambered
nautilus motif
Sir Karl’s discussions:
IMPORTANT DESIGN CONCEPTS
TRANSITIONED FROM BAHAY KUBO
● Stilts (structural support)
● Adaptation to the climate
○ Thatch roofing
○ “Media Aqua” -
awning/sunshading device sa
window
Q: WHAT IS THE CONCEPT? WHY IS IT
STILTED?
A:
● Elevated to protect from animals
RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE IN SPANISH
COLONIAL ERA
● First spaniards built their houses in native
manner of cana y nipa
● Then evolved into a two-storey house with
an all-stone exterior bearing wall
● Then into a house with wood supporting
structure but restricted the use of brick
and stone to the lower level
● Houses in Escolata, Manila had more
openings for shops since it was located in
the main business street of the Spanish
era
“HISPANIZED BAHAY KUBO”
● Consists of wood board sidings
● Sliding capiz window panes
● Balustered ventanillas
 ● Lower openings
● “Pasa Mano” below niya kay ang
ventanillas
● Better ventilation and lighting
● 2nd level, many windows and it is very
big. Even below the main window, it has
the bentang nilas. Contributed to the airy
environment.

● According to Gerald Lico, Interior spatial

concepts that they want to incorporate in
the bahay na bato from the bahay kubo
called the aliwalas, no equivalent to
english translation. In bisaya, Hayahay

Bulacan
● The richly decorated stone houses of
Bulacan are examples of Spanish-Filipino
house design variations that adapted to
the countryside
● The ventanillas were minimized and
extended the stone pillars to the roof
● Woodworking economy
● Woodworking ornaments and features
● Incorporated Indigenous and Hispanic
architecture

Bahay na Bato
● Floral and geometric designs (tupad sa
ventinillas

Mga Haligi
● Unfinished
● Twisted
● Not processed
● Raw

● Lower door heights

○ Para di maka sulod ang kabayo sa
main living quarters
● Eslara feature (thorns thingy)
○ Avoid negative energy

-end-